Defending Universities: Argument and Persuasion

Autor/in	Collini, Stefan
Titel	Defending Universities: Argument and Persuasion
Quelle	In: Power and Education, 7 (2015) 1, S.29-33 (5 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1757-7438
DOI	10.1177/1757743814567383
Schlagwörter	Foreign Countries; Universities; Educational Change; Resistance to Change; Commercialization; Free Enterprise System; Educational Policy; College Role; Role of Education; Educational Benefits; Educational Quality; Educational Assessment; United Kingdom (Great Britain) + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ausland; University; Universität; Bildungsreform; Freie Wirtschaft; Politics of education; Bildungspolitik; Bildungsauftrag; Bildungsertrag; Quality of education; Bildungsqualität; Education; assessment; Bewertungssystem
Abstract	In response to the subjection of universities in Britain and elsewhere to 'free market' ideology and the resulting narrow concern with claimed economic effects and benefits, this essay explores some of the processes of persuasion and justification as they are employed in debate and in resistance to this damaging orthodoxy. First, the short-term assumptions behind crude measurements of impact and economic benefit must be contested; the growth of human understanding and its contribution to human flourishing is non-linear and long term. Second, defenders of universities should beware of overstating the categories of moral and social good to which they might lay claim, and should be realistic about the complex and contested nature of frequently identified benefits, including social mobility. Third, criteria of quality and national or local context must be stressed over mere quantity and simplistic notions of competition; the rules underlying vacuous international league tables are arbitrary and impose allegedly universal criteria on a diverse and nuanced reality. Finally, arguments for the importance of universities should be pitched at the right level and never underestimate the capacity of diverse audiences to value their work and continued existence; this involves being honest about their problems and limitations while focusing on ideas and on the processes involved in their development. Taken together, these observations add up to insisting on making the case for universities in appropriate intellectual, scientific, and cultural terms; such boldness will be essential if the damaging effects of current policies are to be reversed. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01